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  ^[116] The First All-Union Congress of Collective-Farm Shock Brigaders took place in Moscow, February 15-19, 1933, attended by 1,513 delegates. Stalin took part in the work of the congress, which elected him to its honorary presidium and addressed greetings to him in the name of the millions of collective-farm peasants. The congress discussed the question of strengthening the collective farms and the tasks of the spring sowing. On February 19, when the closing session was held, the congress was addressed by Stalin. Other speakers at the congress were V. M. Molotov, L. M. Kaganovich, M. I. Kalinin, K. Y. Voroshilov and S. M. Budyonny. In its appeal to all collective-farm peasants of the U.S.S.R. the congress called for the collective farms to be made Bolshevik and for the development of all-Union socialist emulation of the state and collective farms for a bumper harvest and exemplary preparation and carrying out of the spring sowing.    [p. 650]

  ^[117] This refers to a letter sent by the collective farmers of the area served by the Bezenchuk Machine and Tractor Station of the Middle Volga territory (now Kuibyshev Region) to Stalin, published in Pravda, No. 28, January 29, 1933.    [p. 668]